South Africans go head-to-head in UEFA Champions League as Mofokeng faces tough test

[p]On Tuesday night, Belgium’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/royale-union-sg/407h8Ird/"]Union Saint-Gilloise[/a] begin their bid to reach the league phase of the Champions League with a third qualifying-round tie against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bodo-glimt/S0WZMUNG/"]Bodø/Glimt[/a], the Norwegian side who pulled off a stunning run last season against teams such as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atl-madrid/jaarqpLQ/"]Atlético Madrid[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter/Iw7eKK25/"]Inter Milan[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mofokeng-relebohile/hx20yWyp/"]Mofokeng[/a] made his first official appearance for Union last Friday as a second-half substitute and tucked away the decisive penalty as they beat champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/club-brugge/rgTHIK74/"]Club Brugge[/a] away from home to win the Belgian Super Cup.[/p][p]The 21-year-old is likely to get some game time, either in the starting line-up or, more likely, off the bench in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oostende/Aw8l9bTk/"]Oostende[/a] on Tuesday as Union host the first leg of the tie.[/p][embed guid="1c0b6b7a-4806-423d-ae09-960b74a6619d" url="https://x.com/UnionStGilloise/status/2084520436075790809?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Union are unable to use their own ground in Brussels for the game because it is too small to stage European club competition ties.[/p][p]They are away in Norway for the second leg next Wednesday and, if they advance, will take on either [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nijmegen/nRluRF0T/"]NEC Nijmegen[/a] of the Netherlands or Greece’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ol-nicosia/8IA9VBH2/"]Olympiakos[/a] for a place in the Champions League proper.[/p][p]Danish champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aarhus/OOXnKGbO/"]Aarhus[/a] then host [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sabah-baku/fNGcxbyr/"]Sabah[/a] of Azerbaijan on Wednesday in the first leg of their third qualifying-round tie, hoping to have former Platinum Stars and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cape-town-city/l8K0DYSm/"]Cape Town City[/a] winger [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/links-gift/4MkHK9lQ/"]Gift Links[/a] back in the line-up after injury.[/p][p]Links was one of Aarhus’ star performers as they won the Danish championship for the first time in 40 years last season. However, the 27-year-old was absent last week as they overturned a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/aarhus-OOXnKGbO/lech-poznan-OpNH7Ouf/?mid=OMG5sIDO"]4-1[/a] home deficit against Poland’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lech-poznan/OpNH7Ouf/"]Lech Poznan[/a] to advance in dramatic fashion from the second qualifying round, where they entered the competition.[/p][embed guid="5fc1b7ef-db32-40e4-8472-e28a7130e01d" url="https://x.com/A_B_Ditlhobolo/status/2021120864888954916?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Sabah have already come through two rounds of two-legged qualifying ties in this season’s Champions League against Welsh and Finnish opposition. Former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kaizer-chiefs/fFZ2CGx0/"]Kaizer Chiefs[/a] centre-back [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mccarthy-aden/pf7hz3si/"]Aden McCarthy[/a] is in their squad, although he has played only a few minutes in the competition since moving from South Africa.[/p][p]Wednesday’s first leg will be played in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/randers-fc/x0NnnfrU/"]Randers[/a], Denmark, with the return match in Azerbaijan next Tuesday. The winners will advance to the final qualifying round to face either [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/h-beer-sheva/EXAD1YZP/"]Hapoel Beer-Sheva[/a] of Israel or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/salzburg/Olvehxrl/"]Red Star Belgrade[/a] of Serbia for a place in the league phase.[/p]